1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to battery lock mechanisms and, more particularly, to a battery lock mechanism for a portable device in which a battery is removable.
2. The Related Art
Presently, portable devices such as handy terminals which are driven by a battery and in which a battery is removable are used. Changing of a battery is performed while a power switch for the portable device is turned off. Usually, however, a portable device is also equipped with a resume function lest a user removes a battery inadvertently without turning off the power switch of the portable device. The resume function enables information stored in a random access memory (RAM) to be saved in a hard disk. With the resume function, it is possible to prevent information from being destroyed even when a user inadvertently removes a battery without turning off the power switch of the portable device.
Recently, the storage volume of a RAM has increased so much that the time (resume) it takes to save information stored in the RAM into a hard disk has correspondingly increased. The resume time may be several seconds. Accordingly, a battery lock mechanism for locking a battery in a battery casing should allow for an extended resume time.
The present invention is not limited to a battery lock mechanism but is also directed to a lock mechanism for locking any other objects which need to remain locked while in use.
A conventional battery lock mechanism is constructed such that a battery accommodated in a battery casing, is released from a locked condition when a user operates an operation member. A microswitch for detecting a start of a resume operation is provided relative to the operation member.
When a user inadvertently operates an operation member for operating a battery lock mechanism while a power switch is turned on, the battery is driven out of or released from a battery casing immediately after a microswitch is activated. When this happens, information in the RAM may be destroyed.
When the user inadvertently drops a portable device while in use, the battery may be released from a locked condition so that the battery may be driven out of or released from the battery casing. This may also cause information in the RAM to be destroyed.